Equiano begins his first-person narrative by including several letters that attest to both the veracity of his text and his good character. He then proceeds to his narrative.
He was born in the Eboe province of Africa, and provides cultural detail on those people. While young children, he and his sister were seized by kidnappers and sold to slave traders. After being brought across Africa to the coast, he was sent to the West Indies via the horrific Middle Passage.
He was purchased quickly enough by Michael Henry Pascal, a lieutenant in the Royal Navy. Pascal had intended him as a gift for friends in London, but instead kept Equiano as an aid towards his naval endeavors during the Seven Years’ War. During this time, Equiano heard about the Christian God and started learning to read and write. Through his ability at sea, he became indispensable to Pascal and became accustomed to his situation.
Olaudah Equiano was terrified when he first saw the slave ship. His fear of the future was so horrible, he passed out cold. He knew by looking at his captors that he was never going to get home again. Because they looked so different than he and the other enslaved people looked, he knew what his future held. Even the conditions aboard the ship were horrible. The smells were awful and made Olaudah Equiano feel sick. When he refused to eat, he was beaten.
